AHMEDABAD: The mortal remains of 83 passengers who were on board the ill-fated flight AI-171 have been handed over to their families, Gujarat Health Minister Rishikesh Patel announced in a post on X late Monday night. He also confirmed that 125 DNA samples have so far been successfully matched with those provided by the relatives, and next of kin of 124 victims have been informed.
Officials at Civil Hospital Ahmedabad stated that the process of handing over remains continued late into Monday night. The tragedy, which has gripped the nation, has been especially devastating for 11 families who lost more than one member in the crash.
“In cases where multiple family members have died, at least one DNA match has been confirmed. The remaining results are still pending. We are coordinating to ensure that the bodies are handed over together, once all matches are complete,” said a senior hospital official.
As of the latest update, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) had issued 80 death certificates. State Relief Commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey informed media that each body is being returned along with all relevant documents to avoid making families go through multiple departments. Additionally, three-member support teams have been deployed to accompany the families transporting the mortal remains to their homes.
Pandey also stated that relatives of the three foreign nationals who perished in the crash are expected to arrive in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Their blood samples will be collected for DNA verification upon arrival.
Hospital officials noted that families are being informed directly once a DNA match is confirmed, and only then are they asked to come to the hospital to collect the remains. On Monday evening, the process was underway for about 30 more identified victims.
A breakdown of handovers so far includes:
- 19 in Ahmedabad
- 11 in Vadodara
- 5 each in Anand and Gandhinagar
- 4 each in Mehsana and Bharuch
- 3 in Kheda
- 2 in Surat
- 1 each in Botad, Aravalli, Junagadh, Amreli, Mahisagar, Bhavnagar, and Rajkot
- 2 families each in Maharashtra and Rajasthan
Despite repeated appeals from hospital authorities to await official communication before arriving, many relatives have continued to wait at the Civil Hospital premises, anxious for updates. Several families enquired about the timeline for pending DNA results.
Officials emphasized that the DNA matching process has been thoroughly explained to all families and assured them that updates will be provided as soon as results are confirmed.
The painstaking identification process is being handled with utmost care, and authorities say they remain committed to supporting the affected families through every step of the tragedy.
